Local man arrested on theft charge

Steamboat Springs  A 23-year-old Steamboat Springs man who is on probation for theft has been charged with a felony for allegedly stealing $1,270 from his former employer during a 10-day period.

Maurice Adama Choquette was charged Thursday with theft, a class four felony, for allegedly stealing the money from Sears between March 26 and April 4.

Choquette was arrested Wednesday night at a residence in the 100 block of Spruce Street. He posted a $5,000 bond Thursday.

Steamboat Springs police started to investigate Choquette at the beginning of April when Sears management started to notice a number of cash sales that were voided by the former sales clerk.

According to court records, Choquette allegedly voided a $730 cash payment paid to the store April 2 by a customer who owed the money on her Sears account. Choquette was handed the cash but voided the payment April 3, claiming the woman came back to the store to cancel the payment, court records show.

Sears management became more suspicious of the incident when they contacted the customer and found out the woman had not changed her mind about the credit payment or returned to get her money.

This transaction prompted management to look into other sales that had been voided by the young man.

Store officials found cash sales, totaling $540, had been voided in a three-day span. On March 26, Choquette allegedly voided a $270 sale paid in cash because a customer returned the merchandise and wanted their money back, records show. On March 28, the sale of a $110 spiral saw was allegedly voided by Choquette. He claimed he refunded the cash.

On March 29, a sale of a $160 microwave was also allegedly voided by the sales clerk.